white



(No Model.)

- J. A. &' J. 0. WHITE.

ROAD GART.

Patented Jan. 4, 188'].

r /1 I o r'llllllllllll 8 m T m ATTORNEYS.

cal spring 3, at the top thereof, and in align-' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES A. XVHI'PE AND JOSEPH O. \VHITE, OF \VINSTON, N. G.

ROAD-CART.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 355,490, dated January 4, 1887.

Application filed Ocfober 21, 1836.

To aZZ whom it may COVLCGITZI: I

Be it known that we, J urns A. Wnrrn and JOSEPH O. W'HITE, of \Vinston, in the county of Forsyth and State of North Carolina, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Road-Carts, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Our invention relates to an improvement in road-carts, and has for its object to. so construct the same as that the body will hang low, greatly facilitating access thereto and egress therefrom, and wherein simplicity of construction will be united with durability and neatness, and also to afford a means whereby the jerking jarring horse-motion, so common to two-wheel vehicles, is avoided.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all th figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of our road-cart. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof, and Fig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal section of the same.

In the construction of our road-cart a single axle, 1, is employed, provided with wheels 2, of ordinary height, and an elliptical spring, 3, attached centrally at the top. To the elliptiment with its connection to the axle, a bar, 4, is secured to extend longitudinally over said spring, nearly from end to end.

The bodyof our road-cart consists of two substantially U-shaped bars, 5, having an upper horizontal portion, 6, which, entering recesses near the ends of the spring-bar 4, project a distance rearward and support the seat 7, which is securely bolted thereto. The said frame-bars 5 are made to project downward at a slight forward inclination from under the said seat at the front below the axle 1, from thence horizontally, and then at a decided inclination to a hinged connection with the shaftbar, 8, thus partaking of the shape of a phaeton-body, low and easy of access and exit. In making the hinged connection with the shaft bar 8 the frame-bars 5 are each provided at their forward ends with an eye, usually formed by Serial No. 216,862. (No model.)

bending the said ends over upon themselves,

and the eyes thus produced are entered between the vertical ears 9 of metallic plates 10, secured to the under side of the shaft-bar 8, and are held in position by means of a bolt, 11, entered through the aforesaid ears and the eyes of the frame. To the body-frame, suspended as above, the usual floor, 12, and front and rear boards, 13 and 14, are attached, the

dash-board 15 being usually held thereto by vertical connecting-rods 16.

The heels of the shafts 17 are made to curve downward, and to terminate nearly in alignment with the center of the body,and are at that point provided with thill-irons 18 and 19 of sufficient length to reach under the axle 1, the one iron, 19, being made to project beyond the axle and form a step, 20, whereby the cart is entered. The obj cct of the said attached irons and the curving of the shafts is to allow ample room for the party stepping from said step 20 into the seat 7. To balance the weight of the person or persons while driving, thill-braces 21 are secured to the rear of the shafts at the top in any approved manner,which braces extend downward and enter between the upper surface of the thill-irons 1S and 19, and the under surface of the axle being held in engagement with the said axle, together with the said thill-irons, by clips 22, which clips, entering both the said thill-irons and thill-braces upon each side of the said axle, are firmly secured by bolts entered at their ends or through riveting the same upon the under face of the thillirons.

The iron stay 23 is made fast to thenndcr face of the spring-bar 4-, near each end, to ex tend at an. angle downward and engage the rear vertical portion of the frame-bars 5, to provide a further support for the seat 7, and also facilitate the vertical play of the elliptical spring 3, which vertical play, together with Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with the axle, the spring, and the bar 4, of the shafts curved downward at their rear ends, the irons 13, extending rearward in a horizontal line to the axle and there secured, the braces 21, secured at their forward ends to upper surfaces of the shafts about at the points where they begin to curve, and extended rearward and secured to the axle, thus spanning the angle between the rear ends of the shafts and the upp'a' faces of the irons 13, the shaft cross-bar 8, the U- shaped frame-bars 5, hinged at the upper ends of their shorter arms to opposite ends of the shaft-bar 8, the rear bars being longer and bent rearward to support the seat, and the braces 23, secured to the rear faces of the rear 20 arms of frames 5 and inclined u )ward and rearward t H2 bar 4 and there secured, substantially as set forth.

2. In a road-cart, the coinbination,with the shaft-bars 8, provided with metallic plates 10, having ears 9, and the spring-bar 4, of the U- shaped frame-bars 5, having a rear upper horizontal portion 6, and eyes formed in the ends of their forwardly-inclined portions, and a connecting-rod, 16, attached thereto, supporting the dash-board 15, together with the stays 23, attached to the rear vertical portion of said frame-bars, and tothe under side of said spring-bar 41, substantially as shown and described.

JAMES A. WHITE. JOSEPH O. WVHITE.

\Vltnesses:

G. WV. HonGrN, P. XV. CRUTCI-IFIELD. 

